“I don’t know Tim personally but he is a fighter, a player who gives it everything and that is what you want to see, Everton fans will appreciate that,” said the former world boxing champion before kick off.

Just like in his prime, the hit-man had nailed it. Cahill gave his everything, as did each of his team-mates, and the Aussie’s knack for hurting Manchester City came back to haunt them again.

“He throws those punches pretty well,” added Hatton about the 31-year-old Everton talisman’s trade-mark celebration, and Cahill was at it again after only four minutes at Eastlands last night.

The one-man wrecking ball then went on to force City’s right-back off the field thanks to a fair but fearless collision. And he duly helped the Blues capitalise on the gap down the home side’s right side, setting up Leighton Baines to give Everton a dream start.

But this was a victory as much inspired by shrewd tactics as it was the priceless Aussie who has left Evertonians dreading January 1 when he departs for the Asia Cup.

David Moyes’ decision to start contract-rebel Victor Anichebe ahead of Louis Saha may not have registered on the watching nation quite to the extent of Carlos Tevez’s return to the home side as skipper, but it was to have greater effect on the game.

The Everton manager’s brave decision probably had some Bluenoses scratching their heads, but it was a bold move which paid off in the first half.

Rarely prone to controversy in his selection, Moyes played an ambitious hand and sat back to watch it become a full house in the end, that saw his side rise to 14th in the table.

Even the 22-year-old’s harsh sending off in the second half, failed to undermine his positive contribution to this game.

In the opening stages, Everton sat deep when they were without the ball, clearly well-drilled in two rigid banks of four, with the Everton boss obviously keen to limit the attacking threat posed by an on-form Yaya Toure, and the incisive movement of David Silva.

But when a City attack broke down, Everton resisted the temptation to launch the ball long towards Anichebe, and calmly passed the ball out of their area.

Leon Osman sent Leighton Baines scurrying down the left to deliver a trademark cross that Anichebe flicked on. City’s defence seemed to stop and stare, as Seamus Coleman picked up on the loose ball and swung in a cross met by Tim Cahill, inexplicably unmarked by Vincent Kompany.

The home side were momentarily stunned, but recovered their composure to craft a wonderful opening for Silva. Yaya Toure played a sublime pass to the feet of the Spaniard who times his run perfectly to beat Sylvain Distin but fired inches wide.

Cahill played like a man determined not to waste a minute before his departure; he soon set up a wonderful second goal, which glistened with quality, not to mention 16 passes.

A flowing move, again from their own half, saw Baines find Anichebe who turned and played the ball to Cahill. The Aussie’s deftly cushioned lay off was met by Baines again, who clipped a first time shot low past Hart with his right foot.

It is usually Cahill pummelling the corner flags thanks to a Baines assist, so the defender could be forgiven for telling his pal it was about time he returned the favour anyway.

Still, City’s passing and the presence of the gargantuan Toure in an advanced role caused Everton pulses to flutter occasionally.

Mario Balotelli hooked a first time volley narrowly over the bar from a Gareth Barry cross, but the Toffees back four seemed resolute, and dealt with what was thrown at them in the first half hour, which only just excluded the proverbial kitchen sink.

As the half progressed Mancini’s side had more and more of the ball, and peppered shots at Everton’s goal repeatedly.

The Blues survived a penalty claim when a shot hit Phil Neville on the arm in the area.

And City went close twice shortly after the interval, when first Gareth Barry and then Adam Johnson, on for James Milner, unleashed long range efforts.

The came Peter Walton’s dismal decision. Anichebe’s first yellow card was harsh in the extreme for a merely robust challenge on Joe Hart. But it meant the referee gave himself no option when the Nigerian actually did commit a foul, going in late on the bruised and battered Zabaleta.

Moyes was entitled to feel dismayed by the woeful timing, and Anichebe showed his disgust by hurling his gloves at Mancini’s feet.

Yet it still seemed as if the home side were jinxed in front of goal. Phil Neville escaped another penalty claim, and then Toure slipped when clean through with just Tim Howard to beat.

But they get the luck they needed when a quick-passing move involving Silva and Johnson, saw Toure’s shot deflect in off Phil Jagielka.

Suddenly an equaliser seemed inevitable.

City poured forward at will and Tim Howard had to be at his very best to thwart Balotelli after he clipped the post with his first effort.

Moyes introduced Bilyaletdinov for a tiring Osman, and then Coleman made way for Saha, but as Everton’s backs edged closer to the wall Tim Howard and Sylvain Distin led by example to seal a vital victory, that finally looked certain when a frustrated Kolo Toure got himself sent off in added time.

Manchester City might have laughed in the face of the big freeze to get this fixture on, but it was Moyes’ men smiling at the end.